


Certified Idiot Jung Wooyoung

by TheCaptainOfThisFleet



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jealousy, Jung Wooyoung is a dick on accident, Jung Wooyoung is an Idiot, M/M, Oblivious Jung Wooyoung, Rated T for language, Song Mingi is a dick on purpose, Texting, Wooyoung's not a bad guy i promise, i guess, the angst is a guess the happy ending is definite, the other members appear only briefly sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27460942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCaptainOfThisFleet/pseuds/TheCaptainOfThisFleet
Summary: Wooyoung didn’t know what had possessed him when he blurted out “I have a boyfriend”, but he knew he was going to pay with his life once Yeosang found out he was lying. Surprisingly, Yeosang bought it when Wooyoung told him it was their hyung Seonghwa. They all did. Seonghwa-hyung even played along.Aside of Mingi. But Mingi's a jealous little shit that could choke for all Wooyoung cared.Or: Seonghwa and Wooyoung pretend to be dating for free chocolate. There's more feelings involved than previously anticipated, obviously.
Relationships: Jung Wooyoung/Park Seonghwa, Park Seonghwa & Song Mingi
Kudos: 37





	Certified Idiot Jung Wooyoung

„I want to go there,“ Wooyoung announced loudly, slapping a piece of paper on the library table. Students on another table shot him evil looks, but most of his friends didn't react. Only Jongho, who was Wooyoung's favourite for a reason, looked up from his study notes on a course Wooyoung hadn't even known the other was taking. Seonghwa, San and Yeosang seemed completely unbothered.

„I thought you said valentine's day was a cruel capitalist invention to scam happy couples and make singles even more depressed? Why would you want to go to a Christmas couple event?“

Jongho pushed the flyer Wooyoung had been harassed to take from a girl in front of the faculty building over to Yeosang. Yeosang didn't even look at it and pushed it further towards San. Wooyoung was still unsure if Seonghwa had even noticed him, the older being completely engrossed in lecture notes.

„That was a year ago, and you forgot to factor in a very big point,“ Wooyoung threw back and pulled the paper from San's fingers to hold it in front of Jongho's face. The event wasn't taking place for another month and a half, but you couldn't be too prepared for free chocolate.

„Which is?“

„All you can eat free sweets.“

That got the attention of Yeosang's sweet tooth and his best friend lifted his head. Yeosang looked down at the flyer, then back at Wooyoung with squinted eyes. Wooyoung could hear the cogwheels turn behind Yeosang's forehead. He could almost see them.

„I'm not going to pretend to be your boyfriend again, not for all the chocolate in the world. Last time my parents almost disowned me.“

Wooyoung was about to shoot something back, but unfortunately, Yeosang was telling the truth. Yeosang's parents weren't that fond of Wooyoung and when news had reached them that Yeosang might be more than strictly friends with someone like Wooyoung, it hadn't sat well with them. No matter that they had just pulled a stunt to get free chocolate on all the valentine's day events the campus had offered. The tides had only started to settle when Yeosang had met San, who was really the picture-perfect boyfriend that not even Yeosang's parents could oppose without being outright homophobic. Perfect grades, incredibly polite and just the cutest little shit around.

„Well, lucky for you, you won't have to, because I already have a boyfriend,“ Wooyoung said before he even finished that train of thought. San's head snapped up so fast he might have pulled something in his neck.

„You have a boyfriend?“ San squeaked out. Yeosang lifted a very judgemental eyebrow. Wooyoung felt the primal fear of _I'm about to lie to my bestest friends in the world_ crawl up his back, but it was too late now. There was no way he could get back alive from this. He glanced from Yeosang and San to Jongho, who seemed just as interested, to Seonghwa next to him, who had finally looked up from his studies and at Wooyoung.

„I call bullshit, Young-ah. You meeting someone you like and not introducing them to us?“

„Why would I need to introduce him, you see Seonghwa-hyung more often than I do.“

Wooyoung only realized what he had said once San screeched „Seonghwa-hyung?!“

Jongho's mouth was wide open. Yeosang looked doubtful. Wooyoung was about to tell them that it had been a joke and that he wasn't dating anyone and how easily they could be tricked. Panic gripped his heart as he glanced at Seonghwa again, who looked less outraged than Wooyoung would've been in his situation. Wooyoung probably would have made very loud vomiting noises, because he was five years old.

„I thought you weren't ready to tell them yet,“ Seonghwa then said, and Wooyoung didn't know if he should laugh or cry or scream. Seonghwa, literal angel Seonghwa, was playing along. Jongho's mouth opened even farther and both of Yeosang's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe.

„You know I can't lie to Sangie, hyung,“ Wooyoung spluttered, completely taken aback. He hadn't thought he would come this far. What was he supposed to be doing now? Should he kiss Seonghwa? No, that would be rude and completely uncalled for and frankly inappropriate. Seonghwa blinked at him slowly and gave him an endeared smile that eased the panic slightly, before the older patted Wooyoung's thigh and went back to studying.

  
  


„Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were dating hyung?“ Yeosang asked as they were walking back to their dorm. They had left Seonghwa, San and Jongho at the library, and Wooyoung's heart had almost jumped out of his chest when Seonghwa's hand had grazed his lower back as they said their goodbyes. He wasn’t even sure if his body had registered the light kiss Seonghwa had brushed against his temple like it meant nothing. Which it did, it just freaked Wooyoung out because touch didn’t come easily to Seonghwa. Wooyoung knew, because Wooyoung had tried to get him to be touchy more than once, and had always failed. Seonghwa welcomed touch, but did not initiate it.

Wooyoung shrugged. If he wasn't answering, he wouldn't be lying to Yeosang. Then, maybe, Yeosang wouldn't blow up in his face when this inevitably came back to bite Wooyoung in the ass.

Yeosang stopped and stared at Wooyoung. Wooyoung knew he wouldn't walk a step further before he had received an acceptable answer.

„I... I didn't want to ruin it,“ Wooyoung tried, but Yeosang didn't look satisfied. Crap. „You know how we all are. We're nosy little shits and I... I wanted to keep this for myself for a bit. I wanted to be sure before I told you guys.“

Yeosang considered him, and for a minute, Wooyoung waited for Yeosang to call him out. But Yeosang just picked up walking again, passing Wooyoung. Wooyoung’s heart seized. He was the biggest dick on this planet.

„That's good,“ Yeosang said about two blocks later. „Because I love both of you guys and don't want to have to choose who I remain friends with if this blows over because you just were dating for shits and giggles, or sex.“

Now it was guilt wrapping itself around Wooyoung's heart. It was neither shits nor giggles, and certainly not because of sex, but his reasons for this „relationship“ were even worse. Because he had lied to Yeosang just because he was dumb, and had pulled Seonghwa into this mess as well.

His phone pinged several times in a row.

  
  


**The Mango Man:** it has come to my attention

**The Mango Man:** that you jung wooyoung

**The Mango Man:** are interested in dating my sweet sweet baby hyung who i adore

  
  


There was a significant pause after these texts, and Wooyoung prepared himself for a very dramatic claim that Mingi would fight him in a parking lot if he dared to hurt Seonghwa. Yeosang looked over his shoulders and huffed out an amused laugh. Leave it to Mingi to call Seonghwa a baby and hyung at the same time.

  
  


**The Mango Man:** i probably wont fight you bc i am Weak TM and you probs could break me in half if you tried but i can and will make your life living hell if you hurt him so dont be a dickwad

**Jung Hyena Young:** Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence

**The Mango Man:** welcome

**The Mango Man:** pls dont hav sex when im home thxx

**The Mango Man:** aslo tell hyung that ill be home late today gotta fight a dumb math nerd

  
  


„I'm not entirely sure if I should feel threatened or endorsed,“ Wooyoung told Yeosang as they reached their shared dorm. Yeosang shrugged.

„You know, I can never quite tell with Mingi when he's joking or not. But I'm pretty sure he meant the part about not having sex while he's home.“

Wooyoung kicked at Yeosang, who moved out of the way with the ease of practice.

„I'm not going to fuck Seonghwa,“ Wooyoung groaned out.

„Sure you aren't,“ Yeosang said in a tone of voice that he didn't believe a single word out of Wooyoung's mouth. Wooyoung was still kind of surprised that Yeosang had bought the whole dating thing at all. If any one of their group of friends were suspicious of anything going on in Wooyoung's love life, it was Yeosang.

His phone pinged, and Wooyoung was ready to find a message from Mingi going how he might still fight him but with a butter knife, but it was Hongjoong instead.

  
  


**That one music hyung:** I'm happy for the two of you, but also please don't hurt Seonghwa hyung, he's soft and fragile.

  
  


„Why is everyone convinced that I'm going to be the one hurting Seonghwa and not the other way around?“

Yeosang shrugged in that way he did when he knew exactly why but had decided to let Wooyoung live another day.

  
  


  
  


„Hyung, we need to talk,“ Wooyoung announced as he barged into Seonghwa's dorm room. Seonghwa turned around, mop in hand. Dark circles around his eyes promised of sleepless nights, but Wooyoung couldn’t remember if Seonghwa had any kind of exam in the near future that he would have to cram for. Not that Seonghwa wasn’t a diligent student that studied early enough and didn’t even need to cram in the first place.

„Are you breaking up with me?“ Seonghwa asked immediately, lifting his eyebrows as he watched Wooyoung throw off his shoes, jacket and scarf.

„We're not even dating for real, hyung, I can't break up with you.“

Seonghwa said nothing, just continued mopping the floor. Wooyoung threw himself on top of Seonghwa's bed.

„Did you rope Yeosang and San into some shit that will get them disowned again?“

Something in Wooyoung's chest hurt at those words, even when he wasn't entirely sure what it was. Maybe the thought that Seonghwa immediately assumed the worst of him. Maybe the fact that Wooyoung deserved it.

„I have been behaving very well recently, hyung.“

„Aside of lying to all your friends about your relationship, but that's nothing I guess,“ Seonghwa mumbled. Wooyoung was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to hear it, which hurt even more. Maybe he shouldn't have come here today. Maybe he shouldn't have opened like that. All he had wanted was to talk about how much of the fake-couple stuff Seonghwa was comfortable with and make sure that he wasn't antagonizing Seonghwa too much.

Seonghwa sighed and sat on the edge of the bed to pat Wooyoung's thigh.

„Sorry, Young-ah, it just sometimes feels like you only come to find me when you're in trouble.“

If Wooyoung was built any closer to the water, he might have started crying. He wasn't, so he just rolled around and made grabby hands for Seonghwa to hug him. Seonghwa complied.

  
  


„I'm sorry about that,“ Wooyoung mumbled when Seonghwa had settled around him. There was a soft pressure against the crown of his head before Seonghwa answered. The sting of his words lessened and warmth spread through his chest.

„Don't worry. I've just not been sleeping well and have been a bit sensitive.“

„You can take a nap if you want.“

Seonghwa shook his head against the top of Wooyoung's head and rearranged their legs. A hand stroke up and down Wooyoung's back.

„You wanted to talk. Talk.“

To be honest, Wooyoung hadn't really thought about what he had wanted to say. He had wanted to make sure Seonghwa wasn't uncomfortable with this whole situation, but he felt like it was already too late for that. Even Seonghwa, who had the patience of a saint, would've told him to cut it out at this point if he had been uncomfortable. Or Wooyoung hoped so at least. If Seonghwa had been uncomfortable, he wouldn't hug Wooyoung like that, right?

Wooyoung's left arm that was buried under Seonghwa's frame was starting to fall asleep, but Wooyoung didn't particularly care. Yeosang and Mingi retained the monopoly of full-body-cuddles with Seonghwa, and Wooyoung took every chance he could get.

„I wanted to say thanks for playing along with this. And also sorry for making you play along. I know it's a bit late for that, but still. Sorry. Thank you.“

Seonghwa made an acknowledging noise. The hand stopped briefly to pat Wooyoung's shoulder before it continued stroking up and down. Wooyoung was so close to actually fall asleep.

„I... I know this is not ideal for you, and I'm thankful you're still going along with it. The thing is in a month, and after, we'll figure out how to break up without anyone getting too suspicious.“

Seonghwa rustled around him, pulling back. He was probably about to kick Wooyoung out. But instead, Seonghwa pulled back just enough to look at him through half-lidded, very tired eyes.

He blinked once.

He blinked again.

„Don't worry about it,“ Seonghwa finally said. Then, he pressed a kiss against Wooyoung's forehead and pulled Wooyoung against his chest again. „Now sleep.“

Wooyoung wasn't going to oppose that, even when his sleepiness had been almost completely blown away. He still nestled closer into Seonghwa's chest, pressing his nose against the hollow of Seonghwa's throat. The hand against his back slowed its movement further and further, and finally fell limp once Seonghwa's breath evened out.

  
  


  
  


Dating, or even fake-dating, Seonghwa was a very pleasant experience, Wooyoung discovered. He had never really dated much, at least not seriously, so he was used to shy kisses in hidden corners and otherwise ignoring each other’s existence as much as possible, so Seonghwa’s attentiveness caught him by surprise. It probably shouldn’t have, because Wooyoung had known for a while now and knew that Seonghwa actually enjoyed caring for other people, but it still did.

They still hadn’t really talked about what Seonghwa was comfortable with and what crossed the line, but it was fine. Wooyoung hoped so at least. Seonghwa didn’t seem uncomfortable with Wooyoung nestled beneath his arm, legs strewn across the older’s lap like some kind of koala. Sure, they had done that before, but the implications were different now. Because they portrayed a relationship that wasn’t real. Wooyoung kind of loathed it, but he loathed that small, happy feeling fluttering in his chest as Seonghwa’s hand came up to stroke his neck even more.

“You should break up,” Mingi suddenly announced. Wooyoung almost choked on his spit, and Seonghwa’s hand against the back of his neck grew stiff. Wooyoung knew Mingi wasn’t as dumb as he portrayed himself to be, but he had thought they were playing at least an okay role. Okay enough for Yeosang to believe them, and Yeosang usually could smell Wooyoung lying from a mile away. Upwind. Yunho heaved a deep sigh.

“Mingi, you can’t just tell them to break up just because Wooyoung is hogging Seonghwa-hyung’s attention,” Yunho said with an exhausted face, as if this was a discussion they had already held before. Knowing Yunho and Mingi, they probably had. Their friendship was wack in all the best ways, aside of when they very openly discussed their sexual adventures, which, gross. Wooyoung now knew way more about either of them than he wanted to. And because they were so uncaring, he couldn’t even blackmail them with it.

Mingi let himself fall backwards, almost catapulting himself off the bed in the process. It didn’t keep him from dramatically draping his arm across his face in fake-despair. Wooyoung’s heart beat in his throat. Mingi hadn’t sniffed them out. Mingi was just being Mingi. He pressed closer to Seonghwa’s side.

“Then I shall die of neglect,” Mingi announced, dramatically whining like he was the lead actress of a western period drama.

“Don’t be a dramatic little shit,” Yunho grumbled back.

“Does Mingi not want his hyung to be happy?” Seonghwa asked in what Wooyoung had titled “dad talking to his three-year-old"-voice. Wooyoung had seen Seonghwa use that voice on Mingi and Jongho, or any of them that wasn’t Wooyoung, more than enough to know the pout and round eyes that went along with it. Wooyoung usually got the “exasperated kindergarten teacher to the child throwing a tantrum”-voice, which was, while still affectionate, less endeared.

Mingi lifted his arm slightly to glower at Seonghwa, then he sat up.

“I hate when you do the puppy-eye-thing. It makes me want to squish your cheeks and protect you from all the wrong in the world. You’re my hyung, act like it,” Mingi grumbled, but seemed pacified otherwise. Seonghwa actually downright giggled, even when he tried to muffle it against Wooyoung’s hair. Sometimes, Wooyoung really disliked Mingi.

Just to spite him, Wooyoung pulled back from where he had been trying to bury underneath Seonghwa’s skin to smack his lips loudly against Seonghwa’s jaw and to stick his tongue out at Mingi. Mingi glowered back but didn’t say anything.

  
  


Contrary to what Mingi seemed to believe, Seonghwa seemed comfortable with Wooyoung hanging off him for the better part of the day. Even when they still actively avoided talking about this, or about how far they would pull this stunt, but Wooyoung wasn’t about to complain.

Okay, maybe a little.

Mainly because he had not been ready for Seonghwa to kiss the tip of his nose as Wooyoung and Yeosang joined him and Hongjoong as they waited for the school auditorium to open. He may have squeaked. His ears definitely turned hot and pink. Hongjoong snorted and Seonghwa looked so surprised that the embarrassment bubbled up from the pit of Wooyoung’s stomach to his throat.

Then, Seonghwa’s entire face lit up with delight and he pecked Wooyoung’s nose again, then his cheek, his forehead and his temple. Wooyoung squeaked for real and tried to escape, but Seonghwa’s arm was already wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him pressed against his hyung’s side. Seonghwa, in his attempt to embarrass Wooyoung to death, even quickly pecked his lips, but barely for a split second before he went back to kissing his eyelids.

When Wooyoung could finally free himself, he stood face to face with Hongjoong, who portrayed a picture-perfect impression of bone-deep disgust.

“Disgusting,” Hongjoong said, just to make it clear, scrunching up his nose. Then he turned around to Yeosang to pat his shoulders.

“Yeosangie, promise me that you and Sanie will never become so disgusting.”

Yeosang nodded solemnly, and Wooyoung might have kicked him if he wasn’t still reeling from Seonghwa’s sudden attack. Who had told him this was okay?

“You adore me,” Seonghwa told Hongjoong, and Wooyoung knew that if his hyung had been only marginally more childish, he would’ve stuck out his tongue at Hongjoong. Wooyoung would’ve done it himself, but he actually respected their hyung-dongsaeng bond, despite popular believe.

“I think I just stopped,” Hongjoong grumbled and turned around to lead the way into the auditorium.

  
  


Seonghwa’s arm slipped from Wooyoung’s shoulder once they were inside, but his hand landed on Wooyoung’s lower back with a weird but comfortable familiarity. Usually, the performances of the performance arts majors felt like Wooyoung was watching a recital of his more talented siblings (Yunho, San and Jongho) with his less talented siblings (Mingi and Yeosang) and their parents, but today he felt like he was on an actual date. Mingi waved at them from the second row.

It seemed like Mingi still wasn’t over the prospect of his favourite hyung getting stolen away from him as his smile immediately froze when he saw where Seonghwa’s hand rested. Wooyoung decided to corner Mingi in the near future about what kinds of drugs he was on these days. Because frankly, not only was Mingi annoying as fuck, but Wooyoung started to worry that their friendship would be put under more pressure than it could handle.

Was Mingi in love with Seonghwa? Wooyoung had never wondered before, because he didn’t remember Mingi saying anything in that direction, but now that he thought about it, it didn’t seem outlandish. Mingi adored Seonghwa, probably more than he did most others of their friend group, aside of maybe Hongjoong. Mingi was very obviously jealous of  _something_ in their relationship, and Wooyoung was fairly sure it wasn’t about him.

“Mingi-yah, get up,” he hissed right as the lights went down. _Near future_ be damned, he would pull this off now! “We need to talk.”

“What the fuck, it’s about to start!” Mingi hissed back, leaning across Seonghwa’s lap.

“You need to get your fucking shit together,” Wooyoung hissed again, louder this time before Seonghwa clapped his hand over his mouth.

“I am not afraid to kick you in the dick, Wooyoung-ah,” he said lowly. Wooyoung was more upset that he was getting reprimanded than the threat itself. Wasn’t Wooyoung supposed to be the boyfriend here, fake or not? Didn't that mean Seonghwa was supposed to be on his side?

Wait, had Mingi and Seonghwa been in a relationship when Wooyoung had started this avalanche of problems? Was that why Mingi was so upset, because Seonghwa was  _his_ and Seonghwa had just so readily agreed to be Wooyoung’s fake date for a Christmas thing? None of them even celebrated Christmas! It was about the chocolate!

“And Mingi, if you don’t shut it in the next fifteen seconds, I will get you kicked out of the auditorium and banned for life,” were Seonghwa’s next words. Mingi grumbled but slid back into his seat fully. Seonghwa's hand slipped to Wooyoung's thigh to squeeze it reassuringly, but Wooyoung was hung up on the thought of Mingi and Seonghwa being a thing. It made so _much fucking sense!_

  
  


The second the lights went on for intermission, Seonghwa grabbed Mingi's jacket and dragged the squawking giant towards a side corridor. Hongjoong and Yeosang didn't even react, instead bowing over a dumb backstage picture of Jongho Yunho had sent into their group chat with the caption “someone tell him we're not on stage yet” and giggling.

“I'm gonna take a piss,” he said uselessly and stood in search for the toilets. He stopped dead and dove around a corner when he heard Seonghwa hiss something farther down the hallway that was supposedly the way to the men's room.

“I need you to back the fuck down,” Seonghwa outright growled, and an angry Seonghwa was a Seonghwa not even Wooyoung dared to pick a fight with. It took _a lot_ to get his hyung there, but once he was, he was terrifying.

“But hyung, I just-” Mingi tried, his voice equally quiet but desperate. Apparently, Mingi hadn't received the memo that an angry Seonghwa was a dangerous Seonghwa (figuratively, Seonghwa would never do anything to hurt them, not on purpose).

“I've got everything under control, Mingi-ah. I'm your hyung, let me handle this,” Seonghwa answered, voice already softening again. Wooyoung couldn't see them from where his back was pressed against the wall, but he didn't need to to know how close they stood. Mingi probably towered over Seonghwa, his head bowed down in that way he did when he paid full attention to someone. God, how blind had Wooyoung been? It was so obvious now that Mingi loved Seonghwa and Seonghwa loved Mingi, and he had come in like a fucking home-wrecker. Yeosang would have a field day should he ever find out. He might actually disown Wooyoung as his best friend now that Wooyoung thought about it. And Wooyoung couldn't even blame him.

“Hyung,” Mingi pleaded, even quieter and the tone of his voice forced Wooyoung to glance around the corner. Mingi was standing there like Wooyoung had predicted, head lowered a bit to look Seonghwa directly in the eyes, one of his hands resting against Seonghwa's cheek as if he needed to make it even more obvious. Even certified campus idiot Wooyoung had noticed it now.

“I know,” Seonghwa mumbled, and Wooyoung only understood the words because the intermission was over and the room quietened. “I know, but it's going to be okay. I've got this, I promise.”

They were quiet for a moment before Mingi opened his arms to Seonghwa, who let himself be embraced. Wooyoung backed off, slinking back to his place. This was not something intended for his, or anyone's, eyes. This was a private moment. And he was left trying to come up with a way to fix this for the second half of the evening, and to tend to his hurting heart.

  
  


“Hyung,” Wooyoung said before Seonghwa had even opened his door properly. Seonghwa looked tired, but not terribly so, and at least Wooyoung hadn't caught him in post-studying fatigue. He needed Seonghwa to be alert for this one.

“Young-ah,” Seonghwa greeted, stepping aside and letting Wooyoung pass him. The dorm room was empty, luckily, because Wooyoung did not have the energy to fake-break up with Seonghwa if there had been an audience. Was it even a fake-break up? The break up would be real, but the relationship hadn't been. Seonghwa closed the door and returned to sit at his small desk, looking at Wooyoung expectantly. He would have to make sure to visit Seonghwa even without wanting something from him in the future. If Seonghwa still wanted to be around him. But why wouldn't he? This was all fake anyway. It was fake even when something at the back of his mind asked him _You sure about that?_.

Wooyoung took a deep breath, centring himself, then said

“Hyung, I think we need to break up”

Seonghwa said nothing for a while, and because Wooyoung was too big of a pussy to look his hyung in the eyes as he broke this arrangement off, he couldn't even tell what his hyung's face looked like.

“Okay,” Seonghwa said after silence had stretched between them for a minute or two. Wooyoung's head whipped up, but his hyung had already turned back to his worksheets and continued whatever he had been doing before Wooyoung had interrupted him.

“Okay? That's just it?” he asked, unsure. Something in his belly churned.

Seonghwa turned to him, face neutral. Then he lifted an eyebrow in the most distant way Wooyoung had ever witnessed. As if he didn't care at all.

“Did you expect me to cry, Young-ah? Need I remind you this was a fake-thing for you to get chocolate at an event and would've ended right after?” Seonghwa asked, and now that he had said it, Wooyoung felt a bit stupid. Why did he think Seonghwa would react emotionally to this?

“Was that all?” Seonghwa asked typing away something on his phone, and Wooyoung floundered. It had been, but he hadn't expected this outcome somehow. Deep in his heart, something cracked, he could almost hear it.

“I'll leave you to your studying then. Thank you, hyung, for playing along so long. I won't bother you again,” Wooyoung pressed out and fled the room.

  
  


Yeosang squeaked in surprise as Wooyoung threw himself at his best friend the second he entered their shared dorm room. His chest hurt and frankly, he needed his best friend to cuddle with.

“Young-ah, what the actual fuck?” Yeosang wheezed from where he was buried underneath Wooyoung, but his hands automatically came up to pat Wooyoung's back.

“Hyung and I broke up,” Wooyoung said. “I mean, we kind of did, this wasn't even a real relationship, I just said it was because you said you wouldn't be my fake-boyfriend for this Christmas thing and you sounded so sure that I didn't have any other option, but it's made Mingi and Seonghwa fight, and I'm not a motherfucking home-wrecker, so I broke up with him, and he said it was fine, but why does it hurt so fucking much then, Yeosangie?”

Yeosang was still for a moment, then he heaved a deep sigh that lifted Wooyoung's entire torso and patted the back of Wooyoung's head.

“I'm sorry that you're hurting,” Yeosang finally said after a minute or two. “Sounds like a shit situation.”

And Wooyoung was infinitely thankful for his best friend right now, who could be a judgemental asshole if he chose to, but in the end still loved Wooyoung more than he loved being a dick. What had Wooyoung done to deserve him?

His phone rung, but Wooyoung didn't have the energy to pick it up, and Yeosang wasn't flexible enough to get Wooyoung's phone out of his pocket without jamming his knee into Wooyoung's dick.

The ringing stopped, followed by a bunch of messages.

“So, why didn't you just tell me?” Yeosang asked after half an hour of Wooyoung wallowing in self-pity, even when it was his own fucking fault.

Wooyoung gave a half-shrug, accidentally pushing Yeosang's elbow into his chin.

“I thought you wouldn't believe me anyway, and when you did I didn't have the heart to tell you it was a lie,” he tried. He didn't tell Yeosang that he had _enjoyed_ being the center of Seonghwa's attention for those few weeks. He had enjoyed it way more than he probably should have. Which was probably the reason why he was hurting right now.

“Oh, I knew you weren't dating,” Yeosang said and Wooyoung elbowed him in the stomach with how fast he tried to pull back. Yeosang groaned and folded in on himself.

“You fucking what?”

“Youngie, we've been best friends since we were in middle school, don't you think I fucking notice you lying straight to my face? Give me a bit more credit than that, please”

“I'm sorry,” Wooyoung mumbled, taking his phone out just so he didn't have to look at Yeosang being disappointed in him. Mingi had texted him, because of course he did. Because Mingi didn't have anything better to do than threaten the dude that had fake-dated his boyfriend for a bit.

  
  


**The Mango Man:** i feel like i owe you this because were friends and all our friends are friends

**The Mango Man:** but the next time we meet i will clock you in the face

**Jung Hyena Young:** That's the thanks for getting your boyfriend back?

**Jung Hyena Young:** Well fuck you too then

**The Mango Man:** Are you actually stupid or do you get paid for it?

  
  


Wooyoung did not have the energy to deal with Mingi's misplaced aggressions, so he just blocked the other for the time being and laid back down on Yeosang's chest, who huffed out a protest.

“Shut it, your best friend is sad,” Wooyoung grumbled, burying his face in Yeosang's neck.

“My best friend is also too dumb for his own good,” Yeosang said, but he still hugged Wooyoung and didn't judge him for spilling a tear or two.

It had been a temporary thing, he had  _known_ it to be only temporary from the start, but he had so quickly gotten used to Seonghwa's attention and adoration that it now hurt to think that he had lost it.

  
  


After a week in which he hadn't caught a single glance of Seonghwa, Wooyoung realized that he had fallen for his hyung. It hit him almost violently, and he may have loudly said “Fuck” while the professor was explaining something or other about radiation that could kill you by looking at it wrong.

Yeosang snorted next to him, but quickly sobered up at Wooyoung's apparent shock. The professor sent them a more than vile look, and Wooyoung shrunk in on himself.

“What happened?” Yeosang hissed.

“I think I'm in love with Seonghwa-hyung,” he hissed back, eyes wide.

“No fucking shit Sherlock, did it take that long for you to realize?” Yeosang answered, then he swivelled around to look at Wooyoung.

“Wait, is that why you broke up with hyung, because you _thought_ you weren't in love with him?”

“I wasn't!” Wooyoung hissed, and was promptly hushed by a girl in front of him.

“And Mingi and Jongho haven't been dating basically since they met,” Yeosang hissed. “God, what did I do to deserve such a stupid best friend.”

Wooyoung took offense for all of three seconds until his brain caught on to a different part of Yeosang's argument.

“Mingi and Jongho are what?!”

  
  


Needless to say, Wooyoung was kicked out of the lecture immediately after for disturbing the class multiple times. He felt like he had been thrown a curveball, because Yeosang had thrown in the fact that Mingi and Jongho were... a  _thing_ like it was common knowledge.

He pulled out his phone. Mingi's number was still blocked, and Mingi had reacted by kicking Wooyoung out of their group chat, so his phone had been unusually quiet for the last week. He decided to text Jongho.

  
  


  
  


**Jung Hyena Young:** Yah

**Jung Hyena Young:** Are you and Mingi fucking?

**Baby Hulk:** Hyung, with all the love I hold for your loud ass, I really think you have your own problems right now and should not worry about me or Mingi-hyung.

**Baby Hulk:** Okay, maybe Mingi-hyung is one of your problems, but you know what I mean

**Baby Hulk:** Where does this sudden interest in my relationship come from anyway?

**Jung Hyena Young:** Wow rude

**Baby Hulk:** You've come into my house?!

**Jung Hyena Young:** Pls be a proper maknae and answer to your hyung it's important for my mental health

**Baby Hulk:** Oh, because you shattered hyung's heart like a porcelain cup?

**Jung Hyena Young:** I'm supposed to be your favourite, you little shit

**Baby Hulk:** You were.

**Baby Hulk:** Until you shattered hyung's heart like a porcelain cup

**Jung Hyena Young:** …

**Jung Hyena Young:** That's fair.

  
  


Wooyoung put his phone in his pocket and loitered around the hallway for a bit before he took out his phone again.

  
  


**Jung Hyena Young:** Wait, why did I shatter his heart??

**Baby Hulk:** …

**Baby Hulk:** To think that I defended you when Yeosangie-hyung called you a dense brick

**Baby Hulk:** I need to re-evaluate the accuracy of my judgement of character

**Baby Hulk:** And you... idk, explain your idiocy to hyung or smth, jesus christ

**Jung Hyena Young:** I loathe you, Choi Jongho

**Baby Hulk:** Love you too, hyung. Good luck. Get your man

**Baby Hulk: M** aybe talk to Mingi-hyung while you're at it he's been angry for a week straight now and I worry that he might get a cardiac arrest

  
  


Wooyoung read through the messages again, and for a minute, wondered how apparently everyone around him had noticed his feelings before he had. He also contemplated texting Jongho again to question him further on his alleged relationship with Mingi, but instead, he unblocked Mingi's number to text the man in question himself.

  
  


**Jung Hyena Young:** Mingi.

**Jung Hyena Young:** I got some grovelling to do, so where's hyung at?

**The Mango Man:** the audicity of you to think ill let you make this situation worse

**Jung Hyena Young:** In my defense, I thought you and hyung were a thing?

**The Mango Man:** thats a v bad defence wooyoung

**Jung Hyena Young:** I never said I'm smart

**The Mango Man:** my mistake for assuming you need a base iq to study nuclear engineering it wont happen again

**Jung Hyena Young:** Keep your sass to yourself Mango Man and tell me where I can find hyung so I can make up for being a dipshit.

**The Mango Man:** fuck no

**The Mango Man:** you ruined that and ive been doing too much damage control for you to be miley cyrus in wreckingball

**Jung Hyena Young:** I thought you and hyung were a thing and I didnt want to be the reason for you guys to break up so I broke up with hyung bc it was a fake relationship anyway and I didn't think it would make a difference but I was not prepared for The Feels, okay?

**Jung Hyena Young:** Who the fuck even is Miley Cyrus?!

**The Mango Man:** *deep sigh (3).gif*

**The Mango Man:** okay

**The Mango Man:** youre truly the most oblivous man ive ever met

**The Mango Man:** which is kind of insane bc i know hwahyung and i adore him but hes also very blind

**The Mango Man:** hyung and i never were and never will be a thing

**The Mango Man:** im frankly very happy in my relationship thank you very much chubby cheeks over jawline any day of the week dude

**The Mango Man:** and hyungs been in puppy love with you since probably that art thing joongiehyung made hwahyung go to in our sophomore year the one where some of sanies shit was put on

**Jung Hyena Young:** excuse me he's been WHAT

**The Mango Man:** my point being that when hyung told me your relationship was fake i wanted to kind of murder you

**Jung Hyena Young:** In hindsight, that's fair.

**Jung Hyena Young:** So, are you going to tell me where's hyung at or not?

**Jung Hyena Young:** as I said, I need to do some grovelling and also have to convince him that I did not know and would never hurt him on purpose

**The Mango Man:** hes in his dorm

**The Mango Man:** if he cries one more tear bc of your shithead im going to throw you into a volcano dont test me

**Jung Hyena Young:** If he cries one more tear because of me I WANT you to throw me into a volcano

**The Mango Man:** his room code is 07111998

**Jung Hyena Young:** Isn't that Hongjoong-hyung's birthday?

**The Mango Man:** my dads might be divorced but they still love each other

  
  


  
  


Standing in front of Seonghwa's dorm room, Wooyoung wasn't entirely sure what to do. Just barging in like he used to was highly inappropriate and would do more damage than anything else. He really just wanted to hightail it out of the situation, but he needed to fix this. Even when it was too late to salvage any kind of relationship past companionship between them, he still needed to try. If all he got from Seonghwa was seeing him occasionally when all eight of them met up, then that was more than he deserved.

He knocked before he could talk himself out of it, and when he received no answer, he knocked again.

“Mingi, I'm not in the mood for your pestering,” he heard Seonghwa, and even through the door he sounded exhausted and hoarse. Wooyoung knocked again. And again.

Finally, Seonghwa ripped the door open, and everything in Wooyoung's chest contracted as he saw his usually put-together hyung.

Seonghwa's hair was in disarray, and the dark circles around his eyes might actually be tattooed. He was wearing a hoodie with holes at the hem and stains on the chest, and no pants aside of boxershorts. Wooyoung hadn't even known people still wore those. His face was splotchy and his eyes swollen.

Seonghwa's mouth was open as if he had wanted to yell at Mingi, but now he just stared at Wooyoung with wide eyes before he threw the door shut. Wooyoung heard a thump and assumed Seonghwa had rested his head against the door.

“Wooyoung, I really don't have the energy to deal with you right now,” Seonghwa rasped, and Wooyoung wondered if his hyung had contracted the flu on top of a crush on the campus idiot.

“I came to apologize, hyung,” Wooyoung said, looking to his left and right to make sure he wasn't about to make a fool of himself. But it was three pm and most people had actual classes. It must've been bad, if perfect attendance Seonghwa missed his classes, and his heart hurt even more for his hyung. He had fucked this up so badly.

“I know it sounds stupid, but if I had known, I would've never roped you into this. I know it's unbelievable, but I didn't know about your feelings,” he started, because he might as well. “This is not your fault, obviously, it's on me being the biggest fucking idiot on this entire peninsula, but... I don't know, I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry hyung.”

Seonghwa on the other side of the door was quiet. That was okay, Wooyoung wasn't done yet anyway.

“I'm sorry that I made you suffer through a fake-relationship. I'm sorry I made you suffer through a fake-break up too. I'm sorry to make you suffer since then, because, as I've been told repeatedly, I'm the stupidest person alive and have neither noticed your feelings for me, nor mine for you, and I'm also sorry that I kind of blamed Mingi for the whole thing.”

Seonghwa made a noise that was either a snort or a sob, Wooyoung wasn't entirely sure.

“But I guess the last thing doesn't matter right now. What matters is that I really like you, hyung, and I want to apologize for nuking everything between us, and I-”

He gulped down a breath, “and I want to try and fix this, if you let me.”

Another sound came through the door, and Wooyoung was fairly sure that it was a sob this time.

“Hyung?”

He could almost see Seonghwa pressing his hand over his mouth to muffle the noise, eyes closed shut to keep the tears at bay and his heart hurt more than he had thought to be possible without having a heart attack.

“Hyung, please don't cry,” he begged. “Mingi said he'd throw me into a volcano if you cry because of me again.”

Seonghwa choked behind the door and then, finally, it swung open and revealed Seonghwa just like Wooyoung had imagined him to look, hand over his mouth, tears glistening in his lashes.

“Oh hyung,” Wooyoung sighed out, stepping into the room to gather Seonghwa in his arms. “I'm so sorry”

Seonghwa crumbled into him like a card house collapsing. Wooyoung kicked the door shut behind him and hugged the older close. Seonghwa's shoulders shook with the force of his sobs, but he was eerily quiet while he was crying aside of chocked breaths, and Wooyoung was left to hold his hyung together.

“I'm so sorry for hurting you,” Wooyoung whispered again and again, as his hoodie dampened more and more from his hyung's tears and frankly, if Mingi didn't kick him into a volcano, Wooyoung would yeet himself to death.

  
  


After about ten minutes, Seonghwa made an attempt to worm out of Wooyoung's embrace, who just held him closer.

“I'm not letting you go again, hyung,” he said, even when he knew that should Seonghwa really feel uncomfortable with this, he would immediately let go. Seonghwa, instead, made a wet noise.

“I'm really gross right now, Young-ah, I just want to wash my face,” Seonghwa mumbled, muted against the wet fabric on Wooyoung's shoulder.

“You're never gross, hyung. I think you're beautiful,” Wooyoung said.

“I think there's snot too,” Seonghwa tried, and Wooyoung let him go with a dramatically deep sigh.

Seonghwa's face was even more splotchy, a bit snotty, but he was still the prettiest person Wooyoung had ever met. He was about to say exactly that, but Seonghwa had already fled the scene into the small bathroom to wash his face, leaving Wooyoung to strip of his shoes and the cried-on hoodie, stealing a shirt from Seonghwa instead, that probably wasn't even Seonghwa's in the first place because Mingi basically lived here at this point. Wooyoung was pretty sure that it wasn't entirely his own fault that he had assumed things about Mingi and Seonghwa. Seonghwa's roommate, a history teacher major called Seo Hyungmin, probably thought so too.

Another ten minutes later, Seonghwa seemed to have collected himself and entered the dorm room again, looking a lot less snotty, but still emotional. When Wooyoung, who had settled on Seonghwa's bed and had scrolled through what he had missed in the group chat that Mingi had added him back into, opened his arms to Seonghwa again, Seonghwa easily settled against him. The older buried his head into Wooyoung's neck, one of his arms wiggling underneath Wooyoung's back.

“I'm really sorry, hyung,” Wooyoung repeated, because he couldn't say it enough. “I was blind as a mole, and didn't notice I was hurting you until it was too late and I had hurt you even more in an attempt to not hurt you.”

Seonghwa snorted into his neck and Wooyoung tried to wiggle away from the tickling sensation, but he would rather die than leave Seonghwa right now, not when there was the silver lining of forgiveness.

“I've been informed by Mingi that you're, and I quote, the stupidest aspiring nuclear engineer on this planet, and that you apparently thought Mingi and I were in cahoots.”

“Ew, hyung, who even says cahoots anymore,” Wooyoung complained as he petted Seonghwa's hair. He might have been serious about his apology, but he was still only Wooyoung, and it was hard for him to stay serious for long.

“Ew, Young-ah, who even would think Mingi and I are anything other than friends. He's like my baby brother,” Seonghwa shot back, hand coming up to pinch Wooyoung's side. At least Seonghwa was responding in kind.

“I think he calls you his dad,” Wooyoung threw in, glad that at least Seonghwa was talking again.

“That's fair, I do make sure he doesn't starve and keep his dorm from being overgrown by mold.”

Wooyoung barely kept himself from making vomiting noises. Instead, he turned his head to bury his nose in Seonghwa's hair.

“I haven't washed my hair today,” Seonghwa told him. Wooyoung shrugged.

“I don't care.”

Seonghwa sighed, but said nothing more. For a change, Wooyoung was okay with staying quiet. As long as he was quiet, Seonghwa wouldn't kick him out. And as long as Wooyoung was quiet, he couldn't ruin their relationship further.

“You know,” Seonghwa then started. “I kind of forgot that we were faking it until Mingi brought it up during the performance thing. And then you came to my dorm the very next day and broke it off, I felt like someone had pulled the carpet out from underneath me. I thought I had my feelings in check pretty well. After all, you haven't noticed them for an entire year. And then I was just happy you wanted to spend extra time with me and I didn't even care that it was fake. But the thought of letting you go afterwards hurt, Young-ah. It hurt.”

“I'm sorry, hyung,” Wooyoung said, again. He probably had already said it fifty times since he had arrived. And he would say it fifty more times if that ended with Seonghwa believing him. If Seonghwa asked him to, he probably would even beg on his knees. He truly was gone, huh. “You won't have to let go of me again, I promise.”

Seonghwa buried his pointy nose deeper into Wooyoung's neck.

“I'll hold you to that,” Seonghwa whispered, as he pressed a kiss against Wooyoung's shoulder, and Wooyoung knew they were going to be fine. It may take a while, maybe even months, but they were going to be okay.

  
  


  
  


*

  
  


  
  


Mingi almost fell out of the café booth laughing when Wooyoung, being blackmailed by Yeosang, told them about how he had thought Mingi had been jealous. He did accidentally push over his coffee cup, and he did garner the attention of the entire café. Wooyoung glowered at him, but the others were snickering too.

San shook his head with an exasperated smile, before he came to Mingi's rescue, who had started choking on his own laughter and was now coughing his lungs out. Served him right, that idiot.

“Seonghwa-yah and Mingi are very close,” Hongjoong threw in, but even he grinned like this was the best story he had heard all semester. Which probably spoke to how little time he spent outside of his studio, if he still got the kicks out of bullying his dongsaeng after more than two years.

“So are you and I, Hongjoongie, and no one thinks we're dating,” Seonghwa threw in, winking and grinning at Hongjoong. Hongjoong puffed out his cheek and bit down on the straw of his iced americano, glowering. Yunho snickered into his chocolate fudge cake.

“Hyung, we all know you two went through an amicable divorce before you met us,” Yunho added through a fork of chocolate goodness. “It's like, common knowledge.”

Mingi was still coughing, San patting his back reassuringly.

“He sleeps at hyung's place more than his own, what was I supposed to think?”

“My roommate is filthy,” Mingi explained, as if that was news to any of them with the way Mingi complained about him constantly. “He's a number theory major, they're the worst.”

His entire face was red from either laughing or choking. His eyes were actually wet with tears. Fuck Song Mingi.

“I'm sorry, wasn't it your desk that suddenly started sprouting poisonous mold last week?” Seonghwa threw in, and Mingi stared at him in horror.

“Hyung, you're supposed to be on my side here,” he got out before biological engineer Kang Yeosang sprung on this new discovery that Mingi's room had turned into a giant petri dish.

Wooyoung stuck his tongue out at Mingi (served him right) and settled back against Seonghwa's side, who kissed his temple before he finally showed mercy on Mingi and told Yeosang that it hasn't really been Mingi's desk, just a cup of instant ramen that had been standing there for too long.

And Wooyoung was content.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. It's been a while. I'm still alive. I'm back, too!
> 
> \- I don't dislike Wooyoung even if it may look like that, I just picture him as someone who opens their mouth without thinking about what's about to come out of it. I adore him though.  
> \- Wooyoung's nickname while texting is Jung Hyena Young bc frankly, he sounds like a hyena laughing sometimes.  
> \- tbh I don't remember why I made Mingi call himself Mango Man, but it's a thing now. I spoke it into existence  
> \- Hongjoong and Jongho are self-explaining I think  
> \- the "radiation that could kill you if you look at it wrong" is a reference to the [Elephant's Foot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant%27s_Foot_\(Chernobyl\)) in Chernobyl  
> \- I probably should write a Minhwa story soon, because this is the second time they're mistaken for a couple  
> \- but let's be real, are you even best friends if there aren't rumours of you being a couple?  
> \- this is also the second time I made Mingi a maths major because he's a smart boy!


End file.
